Don't Let The Sun Steal You Away
by bluegiveswaytoblack
Summary: Three years after the sudden disappearance of the Cullens, the wolf pack meets Beaufort Cullen, the biological child of Bella & Edward- half vampire, half human. Possessing a unique gift, will he bring closure? Or will he bring something more? M/M. Cursing. Lemons (maybe).
1. Chapter 1 - Beaufort Cullen

**A/N: Hey everyone! So this is my first attempt at writing and I figured, why not start with a fanfic? I hope it doesn't suck too much. The inspiration behind this story was a song (see: title) that shuffled on my spotify of which I immediately resonated with. Story's sorta BD-rewritten, and some things (mostly the addition and bio of Beau) details of the book have been changed to fit the story better.**

 **Anyways, I take no credit for anything here. Full credit goes to the author, Stephanie Meyer. I'm just taking the characters she's written for a spin, s'all.**

 **Enjoy! x**

 **\- Jacob -**

 _Leech._ I grimaced internally.

The nauseatingly sweet smell filled my nose as if I'd just ran through a wall made out of it. Changing my patrol route, I followed the trail out of both curiosity and obligation. Patrols around the reservation had been mundane ever since the Cullens' sudden disappearance three years back. And because vamp activity stopped altogether after that, the pack slowly dialed down patrols to the point where there's usually only one of us out every night.

 _Still, a bloodsucker that dared come this close to the tribe?_

Deciding to err on the side of caution, I turned my head towards the sky and let out a howl, letting the pack know that something was up. We were probably too far away to communicate via pack mind but I'm sure they'd notice the smell as soon as they phased.

 _Could the Cullens be back? No... it can't be them. I smell only one._

I shook my head in an attempt to clear my thoughts as I approached a clearing in the forest. Sensing the origin of the smell about half a mile away on the other side, my body instinctively tensed, fur bristling and teeth bared as my senses went on high alert. Even though I couldn't see who it was clearly, the smell was unmistakable, and my ears were picking up on two distinct but wildly conflicting sounds.

First, a heart that was beating way too fast for a human. But still, a heartbeat.

Second, a breathing that was way too natural to be faked by a bloodsucker and yet, there was no mistake- the smell belonged to one of them.

 _The fuck is going on?_ I wondered.

As I trod closer to the _thing,_ I heard a hushed but panicked whisper.

"—ly shit. What the hell is that thing? She said there'd be _friendly_ wolves, not ones that're six friggin' feet tall with teeth and claws that look like they'd cut through me like a hot knife through butter. Okay, it's confused. Shit, nevermind, it's coming closer. Oh god. Do I fight?"

Amused by the idea of a one-sided fight, I snickered, which, while I was phased, came out a grunt. With half the distance closed, I could see it- him, more clearly. The first thing I noticed were his eyes- they were a deep golden-yellow with tints of brown. Almost like the eyes of a wolf. He was slightly shorter than me in my wolf form with short, reddish brown hair- a colour that almost matched my fur, that curled a little towards the front. His olive skin was impossibly smooth underneath a black beater, which accentuated the muscles in his arms and ripped, holey blue jeans that were cuffed neatly at the bottom.

He resembled a teen model fresh out of a fitness magazine, and yet, he looked uncannily familiar _._ You ever get that feeling when you look at someone and they immediately remind you of another person you know, but you just can't remember who? Yeah, this is it. Fuck, it's frustrating.

I studied his face intensely- high cheekbones, perfect eyebrows, straight nose, pronounced jawline, full lips.

 _Yeap. Definitely reminds me of someone. But... who?_

 _'What's going on?'_

 _'Someone we know?'_

 _'Almost there, Jake.'_

The voices of Sam, Paul and Jared interrupted my train of thought. It was a Tuesday night and since the younger ones had school, it made sense that only the top-in-commands of the pack were coming.

 _Do you guys see this?_ I thought to the guys, concentrating on the image of the creature half a mile away from me, his eyes widening slightly in surprise as if he knew what was going on in my head.

 _'Who is that? No._ What _is that? The smell is undoubtedly his but his heart, even if a little too fast, is beating.'_ Sam pondered as the three of them reached the clearing and took their places beside me with Sam, the alpha of our pack, in the lead at the front.

 _One of us should probably talk to him and since you were here first, Jacob?_

Hearing Sam's request, I obliged and phased back, feeling the heat all over my body ripple and gather at my core. Once I was human again, I stepped behind the grayish-brown wolf that was Jared and pulled on the pair of jean shorts that was tied around my ankle, which prompted Jared to turn towards me, rolling his eyes.

"Gotta show some decency at least." I shrugged, walking slowly but confidently towards the mysterious creature in front of us. A breeze brushed past me towards him, and his body tensed up as he looked at me, eyes widening slightly.

 _Tch. Bloodsucker must've finally smelt us. Bet he's reeling._

"The land you're currently on is protected by us, and we will not hesitate to end you the moment you give us a reason to." I announced, my voice deep and commanding. "Now, who and _what_ are you?"

His voice, like the other bloodsuckers, flowed melodically even with the slight stutter of embarrassment.

"M-my name is Beaufort Cull—Swan. Beaufort Swan." He quickly corrected himself, as if the word he was about to say was a profanity. It didn't slip past me, though.

"Wait a 'sec. Cullen?" I shot accusingly, hearing grunts and growls from the wolves behind me. The pack wasn't exactly a fan of the Cullens, especially after knowing they were planning on breaking the treaty. The abrupt disappearance only made it worse. Go figure.

Beaufort sighed resignedly, as if he had just spilled a secret he shouldn't have. "Yes. Cullen. That was the family I... had. As for your second question, I am what we call a hybrid- half vampire, half human."

Silence blanketed the guys and I as we try to process what had just been told to us.

"Impossible!" Sam shouted in anger and disbelief as he phased back, stalking towards Beaufort... naked.

"Wait, wait! I can show you. Just, calm down. I can prove to you that what I'm saying is the truth." Beaufort answered in a panicked voice as he stepped back, hands raised up as if confronted by a cop.

"How?" Sam demanded, his initial outburst slowly dissipating.

Sam (and most of the pack, really) had toned our tempers down over the years and we have finally stopped exploding at literally everything. Which, honestly still surprises me sometimes. If this was us before the Cullens disappeared, the poor kid would've been torn to pieces on a whim by now.

"If you knew the Cullens, then you'd know that some of them had gifts. And so do I."

"And what would that be?"

"It would be easier if I showed you. Also, um, now that you've calmed down, can you, um, put your pants on?" Beaufort stuttered out, his cheeks a slight but noticeable red as he turned his head to the side.

"Right. Yeah. Okay." Sam rolled his eyes, a tinge of embarrassment and annoyance in his voice as he tried to brush it off.

 _Shit, what if this is a trap? What if his gift is an electric shock on demand or some shit like that?_

"Although that does sound interesting, and I would love to have it, sure, but this is not a trap." Beaufort chuckled.

"Wait, what? Did you.."

 _Read my mind?_ I finished the sentence in my head.

"Yes, I did. I have been the moment I saw you. It's part of my gift. I usually try not to, of course, out of respect. But, see, there was one, then four gigantic wolves which were taller than me right in front of me and I was scared shitless. So..." He explained, the blush from before creeping back.

"Yes." He added, glancing at a grumbling Jared and Paul, who probably asked if he could read us while we were phased.

Huh, no wonder he was surprised when the three of them joined the pack mind.

 _Wait. Mind-reading. His face. Mind-reader. Of course! Edward!_

"Holy shit, are you Edward's son?" I blurted out incredulously.

"It's been a while, but yes. Edward is my biological father. And Bella, my biological mother." He reminisced, a hint of anger flashing across his face, which left as quickly as it appeared as he extended his hand to Sam, who had his jean shorts on. "Take my hand and don't panic."

"I'm Sa—" Sam's breath hitched, his body tensing up the moment he grabbed Beaufort's hand.

"Sam! What did you do?" I almost shouted, as I took a step towards the two of them, ready to phase and jump on the hybrid. Jared and Paul were growling beside me, ready to attack as well.

"It's fine. I'm fine. Took me by surprise, that's all." Sam assured, his voice unfocused and distant as his body slowly relaxed.

We watched in silence and impatience at Sam and Beaufort, who had his eyes closed. Sam's, on the other hand, were glazed over. One would think that time had frozen around them if not for the beating of their hearts and the rise and fall of their chests. After a minute or two, they returned to normal and their hands parted.

Sam looked deep in thought, as if he had just seen a very deep and contemplative movie, and was trying hard to understand it. I have to admit, I was pretty damn curious to find out what he could do. And also the anger.

 _I wonder what happened?_

Beaufort glanced at me as and rolled his eyes as he stuck his hand out to me. "You can have your turn if you want."

 _Oops. Sorry, didn't mean to pry. You don't have to answer the second part._ I eagerly reached for his hand, which was surprisingly not as cold as the rest of the Cullens.

"Maybe it's because there's this liquid called _blood_ that flows in my veins, you goob." He offhandedly muttered, slightly annoyed.

 _Hey! What's goob supposed to me—_ I gasped as my vision went black. I tried blinking a few times but to no avail. My memories, mostly of Bella and Edward, started flooding through my head like it was on fast forward replay. When I met Bella on the beach; when I crashed their prom; when we found Bella in the forest; the bikes; Bella's cliff-diving stunt; the Cullens' return; our first kiss; the night in the tent; the newborn army; our talk in my room; the wedding; the fight on the day I last saw Bella; the day the pack found out the Cullens were missing, and then, nothing. Blackness, again.

 _'... Thank you, Jacob.'_ Beaufort's voice rang in my head, as a few hurried and tense voices started talking in the darkness. ' _My turn, now.'_

...

 _"We can't be together, Boo. There are many bad people coming for you. They think you're something you're not, and they won't hesitate to take you away."_

 _"I'll show them! I can show them that I'm not what they think I am!"_

 _"They won't listen, Boo. They won't care. Your daddy and I, and everyone in the family has decided that sending you away is for the best. You'll be able to live your life normally."_

 _"But you are my life! How can I live normally without you- without any of you?!"_

 _"Well leave you with more money than you'll ever need. And even though it's only been six months, you're fully able to take care of yourself. You're able to speak fluently, you have both blood and venom flowing in your veins, which makes you perpetually as strong as a newborn. You know how to hunt, and in case it's not convenient to, you're able to survive on human food just fine. In any case, even though aunt Alice can't see into your future, she can see into the bad guys'. And they won't come after you if you leave."_

 _"But... why? You and daddy promised me that we'd be together forever!"_

 _"I know, Boo, and we are so, so very sorry for being unable to keep that promise. You have to trust me. Please. We're running out of time."_

 _"Where do I go? What do I do? I can't be alone mommy, I can't! I don't wanna go! Please, mommy, don't make me go."_

 _"You have to. Boo. You need to be brave. Do it for me, for daddy. For everyone. Go to Jaco—Forks. If you don't know where else to go, go to Forks. There will be someone there that'll take care of you. If you're lucky, you'll even find a bunch of friendly wolves there to play with as well."_

 _"I... I'll try. Will I... Will I ever see you again?"_

 _"Thank you, Boo. I don't know. The bad guys may come for us and if worse comes to worse, they'll take all of us away. But not you. They won't be able to find you after you erase yourself from the others. That's why we can't be with you, Boo. You absolutely cannot be taken by th—"_

 _"Bella. Boo, I'm sorry. You have to do it now. Any longer and your scent will linger long enough for Demet—the bad guys, to be able to find you."_

 _"God dammit, we know, Alice! Just give me one more minute."_

 _"Fine. But that's the last one he has."_

 _"Boo, it's... it's time. I'm so sorry. We all are. Please remember that you will always be our little Boo."_

 _"Okay…"_

 _Goodbye, grampa Carls. Goodbye, gramma Es. Goodbye, aunt Alice. Goodbye, uncle Jas. Goodbye, aunt Rosy. Goodbye, uncle Emmy. Goodbye, daddy. Goodbye... momm_ —

…

Colour returned to my vision as Beaufort let go of my hand and the first thing I saw was a mix of horror, confusion, grief and anger on his face.

"Holy shit." I breathed.

 _'Crap, that wasn't meant for you. Sorry.'_ His voice, on the verge of cracking, rang urgently in my mind as he grabbed my hand again.

My vision went black and—

Beaufort's skin was surprisingly not as cold as the other Cullens.

 _Is it the blood?_ I wondered. I gasped as my vision went black. I tried blinking a few times but to no avail.

 _'You're fine. Just listen.'_ Beaufort's emotionless voice rang in my head. I started hearing a few anxious voices in the darkness and I focused intently on them.

...

 _"Edward, remember, Beau has to come out first before you change her."_

 _"I know, Carlisle, I know!"_

 _Almost, mommy. Sorry for trouble. Boo be good when out. Promise._

 _"Just a little more. Push, Bella!"_

 _"I'M PUSHING!"_

 _"Finally! He's out, he's out! Rose, take him. Edwa—"_

 _"Already on it."_

 _"Heart first. Make use of it while it's still pumping."_

…

As colour returned to my vision, I could see Edward turning to face me as his fingers left the grand piano in front of us. A tiny hand was on Edward's forearms. My hand.

 _Daddy play beautiful. Boo love very much!_

 _"Thank you. I love Boo very much, too. Look at you! It's only been a week since you were born and yet you look like you're at least a year old. And here we are, communicating, even!"_

 _Teehee. Boo special!_

 _"Why, yes you are, my little Boo. Yes you are."_

 _Hmm. Daddy? One week. Where mommy?_

 _"Oh. Well… She... It's not convenient for you to see her at the moment."_

 _Why?_

 _"We're afraid that she's still a little... unstable. Just a few more days, alright, Boo?"_

 _Why? Mommy fine when Boo inside._

 _"You were... You remember..?"_

 _Of cos! Boo show daddy?_

 _"Yes, Boo. Please."_

...

"Whoa." I breathed, the clearing returning to view as Beaufort's hand let go of mine.

 _Tch, "unstable". Means Bella's one of the fucking leeches now. They had to break the treaty just because they wanted to fuck without using a condom. Great, Bells. Just. Great_. A wave of realisation crashed over me mid-thought. _The Cullens left three years ago. So that means Beaufort... is technically only three._

"Beauf—" I froze as I found myself staring right into his amber eyes, everything around me except him started to blur. Suddenly, the familiar heat in my core started burning a different, but impossibly perfect temperature. A comfort the likes of a hot shower on a cold day coursed through my veins and throughout my body. I felt as if I wasn't bound by gravity anymore, and whatever weight that was holding me to the ground was lifted.

A million invisible threads reached out of Beaufort towards me, piercing painlessly into every inch of my body, burying themselves into my soul. Every fibre of my being was bonded to his, as if I _belonged_ to him. _He_ was the one anchoring me to the ground now. _He_ was the force grounding me to earth, to reality, to life. And, from now on, _he_ would be the reason why I'd stay alive.

 _Beaufort Cullen, I am yours- for forever._

"Oh, hell no." My reverie ended as the blur began to fade.

 _No, no, no, this can't be fucking happening. Not with a half-leech, and definitely not with a fucking guy for god's sake._ I started to panic as I came to the realisation of what just happened.

 _Grandma in underpants. Grandma in underpants. Grandma in underpants._ I filled my thoughts with images of an old and wrinkly woman in her underpants in a desperate attempt to prevent Beaufort from finding out what happened.

"Wha—" He began, but was interrupted by Sam.

"Jacob?"

"Sam, I... I need to go." I growled through clenched teeth. I turned and took off towards the forest, letting the heat gathered at my core go, rippling across my body as I hit the ground on all fours, what was left of my shredded pants flying around me.

 _'Jake, you alright?'_

 _'Jake? What happened?'_

 _Grandma in underpants. Grandma in underpants. GRANDMA IN UNDERPANTS. AND DON'T FUCKING FOLLOW ME!_ I thought-shouted as loud as I could and kept running. The more I ran, the more my chest ached.

 _You have got to be fucking kidding me._


	2. Chapter 2 - Imprint

**\- Beaufort -**

 _Crap. Did I just do something weird because this hella delicious stu_ — _Jacob. Thank god nobody can read my mind. Jacob, is suddenly running away from me while thinking about a grandmother in underpants?_

"Umm…" I turned to Sam with my lips pursed, hoping he'd know what happened.

After fixing what I _accidentally_ showed Jacob, which was the first time I'd ever slipped up, I switched my filter on. It was only when Jacob started panicking that I switched it off, confused about what was happening.

Whether I liked it or not, the thoughts of the people around me constantly echo through my head, as if the thoughts themselves were mine. Over time, I'd developed a sort of mental filter, which acts to dull the foreign thoughts. The moment I switched it on, the foreign thoughts, which was usually in the sound of the voice of the person it belonged to whispering to me, become unintelligible mumbles.

This was never a problem while I was growing up with the Cullens, as my gift back then only allowed me to hear and alter the thoughts of others through physical contact. Though over the years I'd grown to be able to hear the thoughts of others around me, I was still never able to alter their thoughts or show them mine without being in physical contact.

It was also only upon physical contact that I am able to access every thought and memory they ever had as if I was watching through a television, whereas normally I'd only be able to hear what was going through their heads at that present time.

 _'He sounded pretty fucking pissed, man. Probably not a good idea that we went after him. Especially_ after _he told us not to.'_ Jared sighed worryingly.

"What did you do?" Sam uttered through clenched teeth, his thoughts were focused on a woman with a scarred face telling him to calm down.

"Nothing! Nothing, I swear." I raised my hands up. _Again._ "I showed him what I showed you, that's all. Nothing more."

I offered my hand to Sam, hoping that my innocence could be proven by showing him what happened. Excluding what I accidentally showed Jacob, of course. I'd erased that bit from Jacob, and nobody else should be able to know of it other than me. Sam hesitantly took my hand and I replayed the memory of me showing Jacob my birth, his surprise after, him tensing up and his panicked departure.

 _I'm just as confused as you._ I thought to Sam, and let go of his hand.

"We'll deal with this later." He sighed, glancing at the two wolves before turning back to me. "For now, let's get back to you. Say I believe what you showed me, and that you truly are the child of Edward and Bella, what are you doing back here? It's been three years since your _family_ left."

 _Okay. I need to focus. I need them to believe me. I need another whiff of Ja_ — _what the hell?_

Trying to _not_ focus on Jacob was proving to be a daunting task. He'd been on my mind ever since I had a taste of his scent and it made no sense. The rest of the guys didn't smell anything remotely like him- in fact, they smelled like a wet dog. But Jacob, his scent was a weird mix of my two favourite smells- petrichor and animal blood. Earthy, primal, alluring and yet, strangely mouthwatering.

One of the many perks of being a vampire (or at least a half-vampire) was perfect memory, and I recalled a warning Edward once gave me about something like this.

 _La tua cantante_ \- a singer. A person whose blood smells so tempting that it would physically hurt to resist the urge of having a taste. And, once the first sip has been drank, it would be almost impossible to _not_ drain the unfortunate soul dry. Knowing the fact that Jacob may be my singer made it all the more confusing as a singer was supposed to be nigh-irresistible. I'm supposed to _want_ him and his blood uncontrollably- not bury my face into his skin and inhaling until my lungs swelled and burst.

 _Must be another hybrid thing._ I mentally shook my head and tried to focus on the topic at hand. If these people refused me, I truly had no place else to go.

"If you will." I offered my hand to Sam, readying just a snippet of my final conversation with Bella, still only with voices. I could never relive that memory, what with everyone's faces looking at me as though it was my funeral.

Sam readily took my hand, curious yet impatient.

…

 _"We can't be together, Boo. There are many bad people coming for you. They think you're something you're not, and they won't hesitate to take you away."_

 _"I'll show them! I can show them that I'm not what they think I am!"_

 _"They won't listen, Boo. They won't care. Your daddy and I, and everyone in the family has decided that sending you away is for the best. You'll be able to live your life normally."_

 _"Where do I go? What do I do? I don't wanna go! Please, mommy, don't make me go."_

 _"You need to be brave. Do it for me, for daddy. For everyone. Go to Jaco—Forks. If you don't know where else to go, go to Forks. There will be someone there that'll take care of you."_

…

I let go of Sam's hand without saying a word, hoping that whatever I showed him was enough to convince him to let me stay. With what I saw from Jacob earlier, him and Bella had a close enough relationship that it'd barely suffice as a reason for me to stay. But Jacob's not here.

"So you're technically a refugee?" Sam questioned accusingly.

"Yes."

"Then what makes you think the leeches that're after you won't come here? Did the Cullens think we'd just readily let you stay?" Sam was beginning to seethe again, his thoughts filling up with the same woman from before.

"I…"

"An asylum- is that what we are to the Cullens? Say we let you stay and the leeches that're after you find you. Our purpose here is to protect the tribe from bloodsuckers, _not_ to protect bloodsuckers." He spat, his hate for every single vampire he knew conveyed clearly.

"But... I'm human too." I whispered weakly. He wasn't wrong. I was a threat to the very lives he existed to protect. Hell, I _am_ the threat he existed to kill.

"You're part leech, too. Do we rip half of you out and let the other half stay?" He countered with a glare, as if challenging me to try him.

"I... you're right. I'm clearly not welcomed here. I apologise for trespassing on your land. I'll leave right away."

 _What was I thinking? That these people would've just let me stay without conditions? I was an abomination. A monster their very existence was made to kill._ After two and a half years of running, I thought I'd finally be able to stop. I truly thought, when I first came here, that I'd finally found a place where I belonged. I was clearly wrong. I don't belong. There is no home for me here.

"You think we'd just let you off this easily?" Sam's taunting voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I turned to face him. "The Cullens broke the treaty when they changed Bella."

 _'Final-fucking-ly! It's been too long since we got to kill a bloodsucker.'_ Paul eagerly shouted.

 _'Jackpot.'_ Jared smirked.

"Don't do this." I sighed, knowing the damage I could do when forced into a corner. "I don't want to hurt any of you."

Snarls from Jared and Paul were their response as Sam phased, their minds focused solely on the thought of tearing my limbs from my body. I took a deep breath, feeling every muscle in my body relax, ready to spring as the three wolves stalked towards me.

"If you attack, I will _not_ hold back." I warned with cold confidence, although I knew in the back of my mind that I was not here to cause trouble, and _would_ be holding back.

Baring their teeth in response, the three wolves sprinted forward.

I flitted towards Sam, easily closing the distance faster than any of them could blink. ' _Wh—'_ He had no time to react as I forced my palm into his side, feeling every muscle in my hand exploding with strength. Caught off guard by my speed and strength, Paul and Jared froze as their yelping alpha soared a good hundred feet away. Taking advantage of their distractedness, I put a couple hundred feet between us and crouched, awaiting their next move.

 _'Sam!'_ Paul and Jared called out at the same time as he phased back into human form.

"I have no plans to leave any permanent damage here." I announced, still wary of a further attack. "I ask only for a peaceful departure."

 _'Son of a bitch!'_ Paul roared as he lunged towards me. _'I'll rip your fucking throat out!'_

Thanks to the mock fights I had with Emmett, I knew a few moves and what I should pay attention to in physical combat. I patiently deflected the swipes from Paul and dodged his bites, waiting for an opening.

As he got on his hind legs to swipe at me with his forelegs, I braced my shoulder as I charged into his exposed belly, sending him flying. Loud cracks could be heard and Paul let out a pained whimper as he landed in front of Sam, phasing back into human form as well.

 _'Jared! I heard a fight. What happened? Where's Beaufort?'_ Jacob's voice re-entered the pack mind, laden with concern.

 _'Watch out, Jake. He's strong.'_ Jared warned as Jacob entered the clearing, eyes trained on me.

 _'Are you okay?'_ Jacob asked, trodding forward.

 _'I'm fine. I think Paul and Sam broke a few_ —'

 _'Beaufort,_ _did they hurt you?'_ Jacob continued towards me as though Jared didn't exist.

"'What..?" I furrowed my brows in confusion. Why was Jacob worried about me?

 _'Did. They. Hurt .You?'_ Jacob asked again, articulating each word slowly. There was a subtle but noticeable anger behind those words.

"No, I'm fine."

 _'What the actual_ fuck _, Jake?'_ Jared shouted, just as confused as me.

 _'Good.'_ The anger in Jacob's words were gone, and relief took its place. ' _We need to talk. There's something you need to know.'_

"Jacob, in case you haven't noticed, Sam and Paul are over there with a dozen broken bones." It made no sense for him to be worrying about me when his pack mates, who were clearly in pain, were on the ground behind him.

 _'And?'_

"Shouldn't you be, you know, worried about them instead?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

 _'Fine.'_ He sighed. ' _What happened to them?'_

"I took them out, Jacob. _Me_." I answered matter-of-factly.

 _'I'm sure it was in self-defence.'_ He dismissed, clearly uninterested.

 _'Jake, what's fucking wrong with you, man? Did he mess with your head?'_

 _'No, Jared. In fact, guess what? I imprinted. On Beaufort. And you three tried to hurt him. I could care less if he killed all three of you.'_

"Imprint?" I wondered aloud, my first time coming across the word.

 _'Do you realise what you're saying, Jake? That you imprinted, on a guy that's also a fucking lee_ —'

 _'Shut up, Jared. I know what it is.'_ Jacob sighed. ' _Beaufort, I need you to come with me, please.'_

 _'Fucking hell. Whatever.'_ Jared's presence faded away from the pack mind as he phased back into human form and went to check on Sam and Paul.

"What about them?" I asked, my thumb pointed towards the two fallen shifters.

 _'Sec.'_ Jacob trodded over to them, who were both having slight difficulty breathing and were just laying still.

 _'Left half of Sam's ribs are broken.'_ He explained as he looked them over, pausing over Paul longer than he should. _'Whoa, you really went ham on Paul. Looks like most of his ribs are broken.'_

"Oops." I let out an embarrassed smile and scratched behind my neck, earning glares from the two injured men.

 _'Best not to move them for now. We heal fast. They'll be fine in an hour tops.'_ Jacob turned back to me. ' _Can we go now?'_

"Alright." I realised, when I inhaled his scent again, that it was impossible to deny Jacob anything he asked. It was as if a drug was keeping me alive and he's the only dealer in existence.

 _'Try to keep up.'_ He smugly stated, dashing off into the forest. I took off as well, following the trail of a scent that was now akin to my personal drug. It didn't take long before I was running alongside the source of the scent.

"Where are we going?" I asked, as I caught up with Jacob.

 _'Damn, you're fast.'_ He praised. ' _We're heading to my place.'_

"Oh. Um... okay." I uttered, yet again thankful that nobody here could read my mind. I would die of embarrassment if he saw the images that just popped into my head.

 _'Whoa there, tiger. Whatever you're thinking, you're most likely wrong.'_ He chuckle-grunted.

"I... I wasn't thinking of anything!"

 _'Dude, your pheromones crashed over me like a tidal wave the moment I said_ my place _.'_

"I—" I stopped in my tracks as a realisation struck me.

 _'What's wrong? Was it something I said? I didn't mean to sou_...'

I stopped focusing on Jacob as I realised how carefree I was feeling now, running in the woods with him. I realised that being with him made me feel something I had almost given up on. For the first time since I left the Cullens, I felt... _home._

And the realisation terrified the absolute shit out of me.

 _'Beaufort?'_ Jacob asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. ' _You okay?'_

"It's... it's nothing. Don't worry about it."

 _'You look pale, Beaufort. Please, tell me what's wrong.'_ Jacob pleaded, letting out a whine as he backtracked to me. ' _Was it something I said?'_

"It's nothing, Jake. Really." I reassured with a smile as convincingly as I could, turning away as I felt my cheeks warm up in realisation of what I'd just called him. "Sorry. It just slipped out. I didn't mean to be rude or any—"

 _'Ah... Don't worry about it. It, uh. It sounded nice coming from you.'_

"Oh…" My cheeks were still burning as I rambled on. "You can, um. You can call me Beau if you like. Not that you should or anything. It's just easier to pronounce and—"

 _'Alright then.'_ He cut me off and winked. ' _We should keep going, Beau. We're almost there.'_

I could only nod in response as my cheeks got impossibly warmer.

We ran for a few more minutes and slowed as we approached the edge of the forest.

 _'Just a_ ' _sec. Gotta phase back.'_ In a blink, the wolf that was in front of me was gone, and a man stood in its place. A man that looked like a greek god right out of a painting.

 _Sweet baby Jesus._ I sucked in a breath. It was my first time seeing Jacob in all his glory and I couldn't help but marvel and stare in awe.

"My eyes are up here, Beau." He coughed as he caught my eyes travelling all over his body.

"Oh god. I'm sorry. I... I didn't mean to stare." I looked at my feet as I scrambled to find an excuse, my cheeks heating up _again_.

 _Goddammit. Not only was today the first time I blushed, but three times within two hours? Christ, Beau, get a grip._

"It's fine." He chuckled. "Least you're liking what you see. I'll take _that_ as a compliment."

"Take what as a compli—" I started but stopped dead the moment I saw what he meant- a very obvious tent in my jeans I failed to notice until now. "Oh my god. I'm sorry, Jake. I..." Since my growth spurt a few months ago, I've been getting random boners throughout the day but I easily ignored them- this one was practically _begging_ for attention.

"It's okay, Beau. Don't worry about it." He assured, a hint of embarrassment in his voice as he turned away and looked at the fallen leaves and branches beside his feet. "It's, uh. It's happening to me as well."

"Oh..."

 _'Fuck's sake, Jake. The hell are you thinking.'_ Jake groaned internally as he sighed, turning his head back to glance at me.

"We should go." He pointed towards a tiny, single story house made out of wood. "My place is just up ahead."

I nodded as he turned and started walking. I switched my filter on, realising that I should have the moment Jake phased back. Knowing things I'm probably not supposed to kinda sucks. "Look, Jake. I know I'm technically three years old, but I do have the mind _and_ body of an eighteen year old, you know. I'm _not_ a child."

"I know." He sighed. "It's just... I've never had _these_ kind of thoughts about guys before. It feels completely foreign to me and I don't know what I should think of it."

"Oh. Well... We're kinda on the same boat, I guess. I've been alone for a long time now and it's the first time I've felt, um, _aroused_." My cheeks flushed hot again at the mention of the word. I've read about sexuality from the libraries I used to sneak into at night but experiencing it first hand was a whole different thing.

Jake gave me a half smile and nodded as we approached his house. There was no paint on the wood, with only one small window beside the door, and what appeared to be a kitchen on the other side. Jake switched on a few lights around the house as we entered, and grabbed a pair of jean shorts that was strewn on a couch.

His house was split into four parts, a living room with a couch that could only fit two Jacobs at most. A small television sat atop a wooden stand in front of a wall that separated the living room and the bedroom. A barely-equipped kitchen was beside the living room, and what I assumed to be the bathroom on the other side of the kitchen wall, beside the bedroom.

"You live alone?" I asked, realising that Jake's scent was the only one lingering around the house.

"Yeah." He shrugged. "My dad lives with my sister and Paul."

"Why aren't you living with them?"

"Spend enough time around Paul and you'll understand why I moved out." He chuckled as he led me to the couch.

"Why is Paul liv—" I was curious to learn more about Jake but he shushed me with a finger to my lips.

"Questions later. First, you need to know what's going on."

A timid nod was all I could give in response as his scent filled my nose. It took every ounce of self-control I had to _not_ lick the finger that was on my lips.

 _Ewwww._ I grimaced internally at the thought.

"Actually, d'you need a change of clothes?" He nodded at my beater, which had a few claw marks from the exchange with Paul.

"It's alright, thanks. Don't know if you noticed, but my temperature's a few degrees short of yours. The cold doesn't affect me."

He gave a quick nod as we sat on the couch side by side as his now-overpowering scent demanded all of my attention. I took quick breaths in and long exhales as I tried to ignore what his scent was making me feel. Something was on his mind and it was clearly something important.

"Where do I start?" He sighed as he pinched his brows.

"Would it be easier if you showed me instead?" I asked, offering my hand to him.

"Actually, yeah. That'd be great. How does this work the other way round?"

"It's simple, really. Just take my hand and visualise what it is you want me to see." I explained, smiling reassuringly at him. "It'll be easier with your eyes closed to minimise distractions."

"Okay, I'll give it a shot." He nodded as his fingers clasped around mine, my vision faded away as Jake's memory flowed into my mind.

…

I watched from Jake's perspective as a dozen or so guys and a few women sat around a gentle bonfire as the remains of the previous conversation died down. A boy who looked as young as fifteen leaned in, evidently curious on what's to come.

 _"One of the special characteristics about shapeshifters is their ability to imprint."_ Begun an aged, heavyset man in a wheelchair. The elder, who looked a little like Jake, chuckled as a few of the guys pulled the women that were sitting beside them closer, making subtle displays of affection, and continued his tale. _"Imprinting, by those who have undergone the process, is described as feeling gravitationally pulled towards a person, as a new kind of heat burns inside._

 _Everyone and everything loses its meaning, and the imprintee becomes the centre of his universe. When the process is complete, he becomes unconditionally bound to the imprintee for the rest of his life, feeling a deep need to do and be anything for his soulmate."_ He smiled, looking at Jake as he continued the next part.

 _"It is known that imprinting can occur anytime after the first phase. It can happen with anyone, regardless of any previous feelings."_ Jake sighed and looked away as the elder finished the sentence.

 _"Did... did you imprint on me?"_ A familiar voice asked.

As Jake turned to answer, I realised why I found the voice familiar. It was a still-human Bella, who looked different enough from the vampire Bella that I couldn't tell them apart from first glance.

 _"No. I did try, though."_ Jake wistfully replied, looking into Bella's eyes.

 _"Oh."_ Bella looked away as the elder continued.

 _"Although not much is known about why shapeshifters imprint, there has been a few theories. One is that the imprintee has the best chance to provide an offspring for the shapeshifter- after all, shapeshifters are part animal. However, I personally believe that imprinting was designed to make shapeshifters stronger, to give them something they would never give up on fighting for. Perhaps, in a fight to the death, the thought of losing a soulmate would provide an unwavering determina—"_

…

We were abruptly pulled away from the vision by a series of loud knocks on Jake's door. It was one of the guys from the pack- the scent told enough, but it was someone I had yet to meet.

"I think you'll like him." Jake grinned as he went to get the door.

"Jake! What happened?" A cheery voice greeted. "And why do I smell a vampire in your house?"

"Don't you have school in like, a few hours, Seth?" Jake laughed. It was my first time hearing Jake laugh and god the things I would do to hear it every day, heck, every hour for the rest of my life.

"Don't care! Who is it, anyway? Cullen?"

"Technically, yes. I'd like you to meet him." As Seth followed Jake into the house, I recognised him as the boy in Jake's vision, although looking a few years older and slightly more muscular.

He was as tall as me, standing around 6 feet tall- a head shorter than Jake. He looked like a younger, less muscular Jake with short, black hair, russet skin and a lean, athletic body. The only notable differences between them were his sunny disposition and soft, brown eyes, compared to Jake's intimidating presence and dark brown, almost-black eyes.

"Hi! I'm Seth Clearwater, nice to meet you!" Seth greeted with a big smile, offering his hand for a shake.

"I'm Beaufort Cullen, or Beau, for short." I smiled, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you too."

I took a quick glance through Seth's thoughts, which were mostly filled with kindness and innocence. I paid particular attention to the war between the army of newborns and the Cullens plus the wolves. As a result of the war, Seth seemed to have developed a close bond with the Cullens- Edward, especially. A bond I thought impossible due to the circumstances of both species. The realisation left me with a warm smile as our hands parted.

"Thank you." I found myself unconsciously whispering.

"Huh?" Seth cocked his head to the side.

"Oh, um..." I felt my cheeks warm a little as I realised I shouldn't be prying into thoughts without permission, especially someone's whose thoughts were so pure and sincere.

"I have a gift sort of like Edward's- mind reading from a distance. Only I also get to read every thought and memory you've had upon physical contact." I explained, leaving out a part which they didn't need to know, and hopefully I wouldn't need to use.

"That's so freaking cool! No wonder I suddenly remembered so many things. Although, I _am_ curious. What about my thoughts made you thank me?"

"Oh, hah, um... it was mostly the newborn war and your bond with the Cullens." I was still unable to call them family after what happened. "Edward, in particular. The other guys from the pack didn't seem to like me at all, so I thought a bond like that was impossible."

"Ohh. But the Cullens were all so cool, though. I mean, reading minds, seeing the future and all that shit? Makes me kinda wish I had a special gift like that too!" Seth laughed heartily.

"Okay, Seth. I'm fine, and you know what happened. Can you go home now?" Jake cut in, patting Seth on the shoulder. "There's still some things I need to talk to Beau about."

Seth looked at Jacob and from the way I saw his jaw move, Jake was probably mouthing a few words to Seth.

"Ohhh." Seth whispered, his face a mix of awe and confusion. "But... how?"

"I don't know. It's too late to change anything anyway. Night, Seth."

"Fine, fine." Seth whined, clearly curious to know more. "Night, Jake."

"Night, Beau!" He shouted on the way out.

"Have a good night, Seth." I called out in response as Jake shut the door.

"Right. Picking up from where I left off." Jake huffed as he sat back down on the couch. "You get the gist of what imprinting is?"

"Yeah, I guess. So... you imprinted on me?"

"Yes." Jake sighed, pinching his brows. "It's the first time anyone in our tribe has imprinted on a male, let alone a male that's also a vampire. Or in your case, part vampire."

"But are you..." I paused, trying to find the right way to phrase what I was trying to say. "Do you accept the imprint?"

"I have no choice but to, Beau." Jake looked at me intensely, causing my heart to flutter and my cheeks to flush. "Right now, being away from you will, quite literally, kill me. It's why I came back after I ran away."

"But let's say you had a choice." I braced myself for the answer to the question I was about to ask. Why? I had no idea. "Would you have chosen me to imprint on?"

Jake's eyes were staring into mine. I could feel him staring into my soul, trying to find something, maybe the answer to my question.

"I don't think I would." He looked to his feet. "I... I'd always thought it'd be Bella."

Somehow, hearing that made my heart ache, as if my chest was caving in.

 _Why am I hurting like this? God, it's my first day even knowing Jake._

I tried to blink back a tear but it rolled out just as I blinked, trailing its way down my cheek before being caught by Jake's fingers as it got to my chin.

"Beau, I'm sorry if what I said hurt you." Jake apologised and tilted my chin up as I stared into his eyes, now burning with sincerity and determination. "None of that matters now. You're what's most important to me, and nothing's going to change that."

He pulled me into his arms as I started sobbing and tearing. Snippets of the last conversation I had with the Cullens- Bella in particular, echoed through my head as I felt the pain of rejection from them, fresh as the day it happened, searing across my body.

 _'We can't be together, Boo.'_

 _'Everyone in the family has decided that sending you away is for the best.'_

Every inch of my body hurt as the pain washed across my body wave, after wave, after wave.

"I'm so sorry, Boo. I'm so, so sorry." Jake cooed, his voice trembling.

"What... what did you just call me?"

"Shit. Sorry." He apologised, his eyes glistening. "It wasn't a name for me to use. I'm sorry, Beau."

"How did you know?" I questioned. Could it have been a lucky guess?

"You showed me what happened between you and Bella. Not only am I feeling the pain from _that_ , but also the pain you're feeling _now._ "

"Right..." I sighed as I remembered that Jake and I were touching, and he probably heard what was going on in my head.

Although I'd learnt to consciously control what I thought when in contact with someone, there were still times where I'd slip. Especially on the nights where I slept, which was usually for twelve hours once every week or two, or in this case, when I'm emotional

"Yes, I did." He answered, confirming the doubt. "Also, shifters feel almost everything our imprint does- pain, fear, doubt, joy."

"Even if I was far away from you?"

"It gets slightly dulled with distance, but yes." He nodded and smiled gently. "Mostly, it would be a constant ache to be back by your side."

"Oh." I breathed, realising just how close and I Jake were at the moment. How his arms were wrapped around me like a castle and its king. How his scent was so strong it was making me slightly giddy and... _aroused._ How his brown eyes were shining beautifully because of the tears. How his smile sent a comforting warmth coursing through my body.

I've never wanted anything as much as I wanted Jake right now.

"Jake, I—" I started, but was cut off as Jake's lips softly pressed against mine.

Shocked by what he was doing, I gasped, and Jake used the opportunity to slide his tongue into my mouth. My eyes fluttered shut as I moaned softly into Jake's mouth. It took all the strength I had left in my body to not go completely limp as Jake's tongue softly licked at my own, spreading its warmth over mine.

In that moment, I felt as if my heart was shocked by a defib cranked to eleven as my body went into a frenzied mess. I wrapped an arm around his waist and the other around his head, fisting his hair as I desperately pulled him as close as I could, eliciting a groan in response. Even though it was my first time making out with someone, I knew what I wanted. More than anything else.

Jake. Anything and everything Jake.

As our tongues danced in a fight for dominance, he let out a low growl of defiance as mine took over and slid into his mouth. I explored every part of Jake's mouth, tracing over the shapes of his teeth, inhaling and swallowing the scent that was setting every part of my body aflame. Feeling the need to breathe, our lips parted and we were both left panting for breath with faces flushed. We found ourselves staring into each other's eyes- his filled with desire and curiosity, and mine no doubt the same. No words needed to be exchanged as what we wanted the other to know was conveyed in our eyes.

With our breaths barely caught, we dived into another, more intense kiss. Jake compliantly laid down onto the couch as I leaned into him, our lips never breaking contact.

"Fuck." Jake moaned, tilting his head up and breaking the kiss as I bucked my hips into his. His fingers were clutching the couch tightly and his eyes were firmly shut. Jake trembled with pleasure as my fingers glided over his skin. Starting from his tree-trunk forearms to his flexed, bulging biceps.

My arousal was only ignited further by the soft moans he continually let out and the thrusting of his hips up into my own. I let my fingers continue down from his shoulders and grabbed at his thick, firm chest.

"Shit!" Jake hissed, arching his back as my fingers flicked and tweaked at his now-taut nipples. Deciding to go with my instinct, I bowed my head down and replaced one of my hands with my tongue as I licked and twirled. Jake cried out in pleasure, thrusting and grinding the bulge in his shorts against my own.

"B... Beau, st... stop."

I stopped what I was doing and lifted my head up at him, cocked to the side in confusion.

"I, uh..." He trailed off, avoiding my eyes as he turned his head away, cheeks flushed bright crimson. "I was gonna cum in my pants."

"Oh." I couldn't help but chuckle at how adorable an embarrassed Jake looked. "Would you rather release your load somewhere else, then?"

"I—" Jake was interrupted by a series of harsh knocks on the front door.

"JACOB. EPHRAIM. BLACK." A voice of a young woman shouted from behind the door. A soft, indistinguishable whisper could be heard as well, but was quickly and easily drowned out. Jake's eyes widened as he jumped out of the couch and adjusted his shorts, albeit in vain as his bulge was still visible. "FIVE seconds and you'll be needing a new GODDAMN DOOR."

"Fuck's sake." Jake groaned, walking towards the door.


End file.
